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My Highly Anticipated May Releases!

Monday 27 April 2015
There are two books releasing in May that I am super excited for at the moment and cannot wait to pick up and read as soon as I possibly can. And these are:


The Wrath & The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
The Heir by Kiera Cass
 
I've already heard so much praise for The Wrath & The Dawn from different people and the average rating is already over 4 stars on Goodreads so it's safe to say I'm rather excited for it. It sounds unique and interesting and I can't wait to see what I will think about it when the time comes.
 
I also can't even put in to words how excited I am for The Heir. It's probably the one I'm most excited for out of the two. For some reason I think it has great potential and I really can't wait to meet a new cast of characters in a premise I love. And, hey, I gotta love at least one of the suitors lined up for the main character, yes? It'll be so fun getting to read an instalment in the series from a different perspective.
 
What books are you looking forward to this May?
 
Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo



Dominic Sherwood as Jace?

Thursday 23 April 2015
Okay, so I was never sure whether I was going to be that invested in the up and coming Shadowhunters TV series (based on The Mortal Instruments books by Cassandra Clare) but after the casting of Jace was revealed, I gotta say... My interest has peeked a little.

Dominic Sherwood has been cast as Jace and though TMI isn't my favourite and I'm not all that obsessed with it (and I would have much rather preferred an Infernal Devices TV series...) I think I'm going to give it a go now when it airs beginning of next year.

And that isn't at all because Dominic Sherwood is appealing to the eye... *she types as she goggles at following picture of him*


*and is not at all bitter about the fact he could have been perfect for Will*

 
Anyway... Getting over the fact TID is probably never going to see the light of TV day (*sad face*), I do admit I can see him embodying Jace relatively well. I really liked his character in Vampire Academy (you may also know him from the Taylor Swift Style music video) and I can really picture him capturing a cocky, snarky character. And, hey, I'm not complaining if he has the pretty outer packaging to boot..

So, yes, I think I'll now give this TV series a chance. I don't know if I'll actually like it when it comes to it but Dominic Sherwood being cast has gotten my attention and peeked my interest for the TV series.

*yes, I believe I could be that superficial considering all it took was a hottie being cast to draw me in*

What do you think of the casting of Jace?

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo


Time to Move On?

Thursday 16 April 2015
So you'll probably all know that for years now Divergent by Veronica Roth has been my favourite book. But recently I've been thinking, is it time to move on? Is it time to find another go-to favourite book which I'll rave about like crazy whenever it gets mentioned?

I love Divergent with all my heart but there are so many worthy books out there I've yet to read and one of them could be just as perfect for me. However, I must say, they are up against stiff competition. I related to Divergent like I've never related to any other book. Especially the main character. I've never been able to understand every single decision an MC has made in any book until I came across Divergent and Tris. I completely understood why she did everything she did - I related to her on so many different levels.


So though I may be on the look-out for a new favourite, Divergent will by no means mean anything less to me than what it does right now. I'd just like to find another book which can be set on the same pedestal because it's been SO long since I've read a book I truly and completely loved in every possible way like I did Divergent.

Are you ready to move on to a new favourite or have you recently discovered a favourite book? What do you look for?

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo


Review: Sophomore Year is Greek to Me

Tuesday 14 April 2015
Author: Meredith Zeitlin
Edition: G.P. Putnam's Sons eARC
Releases: 21st April 2015 (in one week!)
Series: n/a (Standalone)
Pages: 336 approx.
Links: Goodreads | Author's Website | Preorder the book!

A laugh-out-loud high school adventure set in Greece, perfect for fans of Meg Cabot! 

High school sophomore Zona Lowell has lived in New York City her whole life, and plans to follow in the footsteps of her renowned-journalist father. But when he announces they’re moving to Athens for six months so he can work on an important new story, she's devastated— he must have an ulterior motive. See, when Zona's mother married an American, her huge Greek family cut off contact. But Zona never knew her mom, and now she’s supposed to uproot her entire life and meet possibly hostile relatives on their turf? Thanks... but no thanks.

In the vein of 
Anna and the French Kiss, Zona navigates a series of hilarious escapades, eye-opening revelations, and unexpected reunions in a foreign country—all while documenting the trip through one-of-a-kind commentary.

When I was asked whether or not I was interested in reading and reviewing this book all the way back in February, I jumped at the chance. You see, I was still in my cute contemporary kick at the time and couldn't resist another light hearted read (if you can't tell, I'm writing this amidst the aforementioned contemporary kick and this post will be scheduled). Though Sophomore Year is Greek to Me certainly did provide me with a light-hearted read, it, unfortunately, did not quite enthral me like I hoped.

Zona, our main character, is a teenager in the midst of high school when her dad drops a huge bomb shell on her. They're moving to Greece for six months so he can work on a story. Both characters are journalists (one accomplished and one aspiring to be just as successful as the other) and I really enjoyed the way journalism came into play in the book. It was refreshing to have a main character know exactly what she wanted to do with her life and I enjoyed the numerous articles interspersed throughout the novel written by Zona humorously recounting some of the events she was experiencing in Greece. It added a fun little extra to the storyline and I started looking forward to reading more of them as the chapters progressed.

On another note... I found the beginning to be quite slow and the pacing in a few of the chapters to wean a little and, as a result, my attention would drift during these times. I also felt like some events and situations in the storyline weren't particularly there for a purpose - so they sometimes felt a little out of place. I did, however, love the issue that was brought in to the novel by one of the friends Zona makes in Greece - as it's something I don't feel makes an appearance in a lot of books when people really should be made more aware of it.

To conclude, Sophomore Year is Greek to Me ended up being a light, easy read to pass a rainy Sunday but not quite a chart-topper. I adored certain aspects of the novel - like the focus on journalism - but the pacing and some parts of the storyline just felt pretty lacklustre.

TWO AND THREE QUARTER TOADSTOOLS TO SOPHOMORE YEAR IS GREEK TO ME!
Huge thank you to the author's PR for providing me with the opportunity to read this book! :)
 
Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo



The Narnian Book Tag (Original)

Tuesday 7 April 2015
Hello everyone! So I've been really wanting to create an original book tag for quite some time now and a few minutes ago inspiration struck! If you didn't know already, I've got a rather unhealthy obsession with Narnia, and in honour of me finally reading one of the books, I thought I'd put this love to good use by incorporating the world I love so dearly into a tag. I'm not sure how this will turn out but...

 
1) King Peter the Magnificent - A book which stands out in its genre.

A book that stands out in its genre for me would be Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson. I say this simply because the genre it comes from - contemporary - isn't my favourite and I've had real trouble in the past getting into a lot of contemporary books yet this one really drew me in and I loved it.

2) Queen Susan the Gentle - A book which is underrated.

I'm going to stray away from my usual picks for underrated books here and give you a new one. And that book's going to be The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove. I absolutely adored this book and it has one of the most solid, complex and intricate worlds I've ever come across yet not many people I know have read it. People really need to check it out!

3) King Edmund the Just - A book that took a while to hook you in.

I'm going to say 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad for this one. I remember the beginning feeling quite choppy when I was reading it - it would jump from place to place - so it took me up until the pacing began to settle before I properly started enjoying it.

4) Queen Lucy the Valiant - An on-going series you're loyal to.

Hmmm, this one is actually quite tricky for me because I'm really bad for losing interest in a series after a while if I don't return to it, or even if I just wake up one day not feeling it. Right now, I'd probably have to say I'm loyal to the Selection series by Kiera Cass. Though the first three books weren't my favourites, I still found them really light, quick and fun reads so I'm definitely continuing on with the next books!

5) Aslan, the Great Lion - A powerful book that stuck with you.

Okay, so I'm going to try and stray away from my usual picks for this one as well. I'm going to go for... Allegiant by Veronica Roth. I'm going for this one because I was so in awe of Tris' character in this instalment and could not think of a more admirable character than her when I flicked the last page. Her character development truly awed me.

6) Jadis, the White Witch - A book with a synopsis that deceived you.

I'm going to go with The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke. This is because the synopsis seemed to point at something which did not actually occur in the novel until the very end (so it was not explored throughout the book as the blurb would have had you believe). Don't get me wrong, I did actually really enjoy the book, but I would've liked a synopsis more relevant to the actual storyline present.

7) Mr and Mrs Beaver - Your comfort reads.

Apart from Harry Potter, any of Eva Ibbotson's three tween books.

8) Mr Tumnus - A book with a surprising twist.

One twist I've never fully gotten over is the one in A Million Suns by Beth Revis. Even though I've still not got on to the last book yet (probably to do with how much that twist overwhelmed me!) I really hope to soon!

9) Cair Paravel - A book with a beautiful message.

I'm just going to have to go with my go-to answer here. Milledgeville Misfit by T.L. Gray. I read it so many years ago now but to this day I can still feel the way it got under my skin. I just loved how the author explored family, and discovering family in a time of loss.

10) The Land of Narnia - Your favourite fantasy world.

At this moment in time, the world out of The Mapmaker's Trilogy by S.E. Grove is definitely one of my favourite fantasy worlds. I guess you could count it as dystopia at a push, but it reads more like high fantasy to me. It's just so interesting and complex and different.

I really hope you enjoyed my first original book tag. I would really love for you to do it too. Like, I would love it a lot! Consider yourself tagged! I'll even leave a linky below for anyone who does this tag to link their post to. :D

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo


Tick, Tock Goes The Clock...

I apologise for the following freak out but, y'know, I'm freaking out.

I'm scared, guys. Dreadfully so. I've got five days of school left (20th-24th April) and then I'm done for good. No more school for six hours a day. No more sitting in a class full of pupils I know and have spent six years with (some even more so). No more being spoon-fed by teachers and sitting through subjects that are compulsory. No more of everything I've only ever known.

I'm growing up. And I'm so scared.

I'm scared about starting university, about how different it will be. I'm scared about the fact I will now have to think seriously about jobs and money. I'm scared that my friends won't be there to fall back on if I have a particularly hard class.

I'm scared.

I feel like I'm losing touch with childhood, and I'm just not ready. Not yet. When I was little, I couldn't wait for this moment. But now that it's here, I want to be that child again. I want to go back to being that carefree little girl. The one who never stopped climbing trees and scraping shins and reading and reading and reading.

I feel like I've not enough time in the world to read or get my head around what's happening. Everything's moving forward so fast. My blog's suffering because of revision, of freaking out over the future and I hate it. I want all the time in the world back to blog and read and read and blog. I miss having no worries.

I want everything to stop for just a moment. Just a moment. So I can breathe. So I can come to terms with what's happening. So I can get excited for the future.

But I can't, and I'm scared.

Until next time.

Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo